Benefits of Group Instruction
Social Learning Theory has been popular since the 60’s and 70’s and is the foundation of our educational system. It’s no secret that children learn from observing others. In fact, we have specialized cells in our brains called mirror neurons that allow us to do exactly that – learn from watching and observing others.
What I love about group instruction is the increased participation I see from students. Kids love to participate with their peers. 
I consistently see strong engagement and willingness to try when completing small group work. There are many drivers or motivators such as competitiveness, a safe space of learning and discovery, not wanting to be left out, or not wanting to be singled out! Whatever the motivator for each individual, group instruction provides an opportunity for extroverted learners to be outspoken and expressed, and introverted learners to participate and learn without needing to be in the spotlight.
Group instruction is also effective as it allows a structured learning environment with increased exposures and repetitions. In addition to their own turn, children can learn from observing other children’s turns, and also benefit from the scaffolding, cueing, prompting, and error correction that other children receive. The net result is that the purpose or intention of the lesson gets delivered and consolidated across consistent trials with multiple exposures – just what we need for letter recognition, word recognition, and letter-sound correspondence learning!
Of course, not to be overlooked is the affordability of group instruction. With several children working together, hourly rates are often half as much – or less!! This can be a significant benefit to families to ensure we can meet the required instructional volume without banking the bank. It is also a nice option when a family has more than one child that needs support!
Group instruction is a great place for children to gain confidence and boost self-esteem. As part of vicarious learning, children can apply powerful learning tools such as observation, modeling, and imitation. A unique opportunity of group instruction is that it affords a new perspective. Children can observe the process of reading, writing, and spelling at arms-length. When a child is working through a literacy task, they are often processing so much information that there is little room for reflection, meta-cognition, and self-monitoring. When observing others, a child can more easily tap into the process of learning and reflect on their own learning process. This is where deep learning can really get consolidated.
We will group children of similar age and ability (maximum 4 per group). Our hands-on and fast-paced instructional approach uses whole-body and multi-sensory activities to teach strong speech and language foundations and apply them during functional reading and writing tasks. We have a special focus on strategy acquisition to support challenges with memory, attention, speech, phonological awareness, grammar knowledge, and letter-sound correspondence.
Take advantage of this opportunity during the summer months to give your child a jump on their next grade!! Also refer back to our website for information on group instruction spots during the school year.